Senator Joe Manchin Criticizes Biden’s Commutation of Death Sentences for Murderers

Retiring Senator Joe Manchin I-WV criticized President Joe Biden for his decision to reduce the death sentences of several inmates, including two men involved in the 2002 murder of a West Virginia college student, Samantha Burns.

Manchin called Biden’s decision to change the sentences of Brandon Basham and Chadrick Fulks to life in prison horribly misguided and insulting.” These two men had kidnapped and murdered Burns as part of a violent crime spree across several states.

In his social media posts, Manchin shared that he had spoken to Burns’ parents and felt it was his responsibility to speak on their behalf. He expressed how hurtful the decision was to the family, especially during the holiday season.

Biden’s decision to commute the sentences affected 37 of the 40 people on death row, including individuals convicted of killing police officers, military members, and other serious crimes. Basham and Fulks were not originally sentenced to death for Burns’ murder but for the killing of another victim in South Carolina during their crime spree.

Manchin pointed out that the Burns family had written letters to the President and the Department of Justice asking them not to reduce the sentences, but their requests were ignored. He expressed his sympathy for the family, particularly during such a difficult time of year.

This criticism from Manchin comes as part of a broader backlash against Biden’s clemency decisions, made during his final weeks in office. Manchin, who recently criticized his own Democratic Party, was part of the ongoing conversation surrounding Biden’s controversial actions.

Biden’s move, announced earlier this week, was part of his belief that the U.S. should move away from using the death penalty, except for certain cases like terrorism or mass murder. The President did not commute the sentences of three men convicted of high-profile killings, including the 2015 church shooting in Charleston, South Carolina, and the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing.

The White House also stated that Biden’s decision was meant to limit the possibility of a future administration, such as Donald Trump’s, expanding the use of the death penalty.

Earlier this month, Biden commuted nearly 1,500 sentences for individuals who had been serving time under home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic, making it the largest single-day commutation in U.S. history. The White House emphasized that these actions were aimed at giving people second chances and improving the criminal justice system, particularly for marginalized communities.